Bright Angel Suspension Bridge

Best Time to Cross

Since reaching this bridge means completing most of a rim-to-river descent first, the same seasonal considerations apply as any inner-canyon hike — cooler months are far more forgiving than summer heat at river level.

Good to Know

• The bridge was closed for over a year and a half during Transcanyon Waterline construction and reopened by summer 2026; check current park alerts before a rim-to-river hike, since waterline work is still ongoing elsewhere in the corridor.
• You're walking over the plumbing that supplies the entire South Rim — a detail worth pointing out to anyone hiking with you.
• This is deep backcountry, reachable only after a multi-mile descent — not a stop for casual rim visitors.

Getting to the Silver Bridge

It's reachable only on foot, via the Bright Angel Trail/River Trail corridor deep below the rim — not a rim-side stop. A short distance upstream sits its older sibling, the 1928 Black Bridge (Kaibab Suspension Bridge), which does carry the mule trains; together the two are the only permanent Colorado River crossings for hundreds of miles in either direction.

What to Expect at Bright Angel Suspension Bridge

The Bright Angel Suspension Bridge, better known to river runners and rangers as the Silver Bridge, is the pedestrian-only crossing of the Colorado River deep in the inner canyon. Built in the late 1960s, it's too narrow for mule strings, so it's foot traffic only — hikers on the Bright Angel Trail corridor use it to reach Bright Angel Campground and the South Kaibab Trail on the far side. The bridge also carries the transcanyon water pipeline, delivering roughly 500,000 gallons a day from Roaring Springs on the North Rim down to South Rim facilities.